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Plot Bunny Threa(d/t) V

Discussion in 'Fanfic Discussion' started by Dark Minion, Mar 1, 2015.

  1. Download

    Download Auror ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    An MCU/HP crossover.

    There's a reasonably popular MCU/HP crossover on AO3. I'd say it starts out in "almost recommended" territory, but the story definitely nose dives later on. To spoil it:

    Loki visited magical communities pre-Statute of Secrecy and was idolised in those communities. When the SoS rolled around, Loki offered to make the rest of the Nine Realms forget that they existed, making everyone think witches and wizards were wiped out by the muggles. During the process though Loki made a mistake and made himself forget too. This leads to lots of hatred for muggles from Loki which is part of why he helped Thanos invade Earth. When the magical community discovers this they send Harry to capture Loki.

    The story starts going down hill as the muggle-wank gets stronger and then finally jumps off the cliff when Harry turns into a god or some nonsense.

    Shit though it may be, it inspired this idea:

    During the 1980s Loki makes a trip to Earth by himself. He's not supposed to be there - Odin having prohibited interfering in the other realms long ago - but Loki nor any other Asgardian have not visited in nearly a millennia. In the process he stumbles upon the British magical community.

    One of the key things I want to do here is that canonically HP magic is way more versatile than Asgardian magic, and Loki once he steps into this world quickly realises this. There's a good reason for this, though they have been around far longer than human magicals, there just aren't very many Asgardian mages. With so many more people they've simply been able to discover way more about magic than his people ever have.

    During his trip, Loki comes across a book written by an Earth wizard on Asgard. The book clears up the difference between muggle myth of Asgard and what Wizards experienced. Part of this is Loki and Thor's birth dates which are in the 960s AD, long after the first historical mentions of them, which Asgard would learn of when they visited in Loki and Thor's youth. Basically some prophecies about Asgard were made long before they were born and the tales spread among muggles. According to the author muggles, fearing magic, distorted the prophecies over many retellings to make Loki the source of much of the conflict, the parent of various evil mythological figures (Hela which in MCU canon is Odin's daughter, not Loki's) and finally his Jotun heritage (which from a quick glace at Wikipedia is not part of the real world myth, but will be part of this world's myth). Like the wizard author, Loki dismisses the concept as nonsense.

    Which leads to the next key thing: Loki is not some pillar of virtue. Many authors in the MCU love to write many characters as these poor woobies who didn't mean to do those things, followed by loads of redemption and them becoming nice people etc. Not happening; this Loki will have little care for muggles (the stories cementing the view), but he does really like Midgardian witches and wizards.

    I wanted this interesting parallel to Voldemort. They both don't like muggles, but Loki treats all witches and wizards the same regardless of blood.

    There's also going to be an interesting magical discrepancy here. Loki will be exceptionally skilled at what magic he does know. That's simply a fact of being a millennia old. But there will be much he doesn't know and lots of potential for struggle there.

    I'm not sure where the story would go. Loki/Voldemort conflict is inevitable. I have even less idea with MCU canon when that rolls by. I've only been thinking about this for an hour or two.
     
  2. Othalan

    Othalan Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    It's interesting that you bring this idea up, because it's tangentially related to one I've been thinking of recently, except mine is a crossover with the actual mythology.

    So, the prologue would start with a fairly innocuous moment between the Marauders toward the end of their schooling, but before James Potter got more serious about the war. In the course of their conversation, James brags that he is the greatest prankster in the world. Loki, god of mischief, trickery, sorcery, pranks and general chaos (in all its forms, both positive and negative), takes offence. The key thing to remember is that many of the old gods (across a number of pantheons) were known to be a bit petty about matters of pride. Hubristic boasts by mortals that could be interpreted as claiming superiority over one or more of the gods rarely ended well for the mortals in question, as the gods often had a rather skewed sense of what constitutes a proportional response.

    Anyway, after waiting a few years for the perfect opportunity, Loki stages an incident to get junior Auror Potter called away to work on short notice before shapeshifting (a skill Loki was particularly talented at according to the old stories) into a perfect replica of James. He enters the Potters' home, knowing that the real James will be gone most of the night, and tells Lily the whole thing was a false alarm. He spends the night with Lily, vanishing before the real James returns. Nine months later, Harry Potter is born. When they bring Harry home from the hospital, James finds a note on his desk that reads "Who's the best prankster now?" Since neither Potter ever compared notes closely enough to notice the discrepancy in how they remembered that particular night going, they don't get the joke. Other events proceed as canon until a few years before Harry goes to Hogwarts, when his powers start to manifest as accidental magic.

    Loki starts appearing to his son as a talking fox, trying to encourage a more mischievous outlook over the years, only to realize with dismay that aside from a delightfully sardonic sense of humor, Harry isn't really much like him at all, which actually fits with his known children in the old mythology. He is the father of the Fenris Wolf, Jormungandr the World Serpent, and Hela, Goddess of Death and the Underworld. Through some shapeshifting-related shenanigans, he's also the mother of Sleipnir, Odin's horse. None of his children are known for sharing Loki's love of pranks and physical humor, and aside from Fenris and Jormungandr being the ultimate expressions of Chaotic Evil, none of their innate powers and spiritual tendencies seem to be similar to his own.

    I debated with myself a bit about what particular divine abilities Harry would develop, but the ones I liked best were Healing and Hallowing (i.e. spiritual purification, not related to the Deathly ones). I felt these were fitting because they don't give Harry some kind of ultimate combat advantage against Voldemort and his Death Eaters (though the whole Hallowing thing could give him an edge in countering the spiritual corruption of things like dementors and horcruxes), and they're also powers that, as the main foci of a deity, are somewhat lacking in the traditional Germanic/Norse pantheon (Thor is sometimes known as the Hallower, and his hammer was said to have the power to purify and spiritually cleanse on top of the whole shooting lightning thing, but it's not a primary focus of the Thunderer's purpose). I think these powers also fit Harry's character somewhat, as the kind of kid who would rather fix someone than hurt them.

    So basically he grows up as (mostly) canon Harry, but with miraculous healing powers, more confidence, his fox-father for a companion to trade snarky banter with, who is also constantly trying to talk him into causing trouble for laughs, and some prior knowledge of the Wizarding World (though some of it is of rather dubious accuracy since Loki thinks it's hilarious to fill his head with nonsense like there being "Lords and Ladies" of the Wizengamot, or unbreakable magically-enforced marriage contracts, or even absolute absurdities like Goblins showing anything but murderous disdain for any human, simply because they were polite).

    Aside from his divine abilities and a certain physical hardiness that come from having godly blood flowing through one's veins, Harry's magical potential is the same as in canon (certainly above average, but not prodigious like Dumbledore, Grindelwald or Voldemort). He is still mortal (unlike other pantheons like the Olympians, all the gods and goddesses of the Germanic pantheon can, in fact, die), and is still only about as smart and mature as he was in canon (having Loki of all people as your father-figure/familiar is definitely not conducive to greater maturity in a child, after all).

    TL;DR: Harry Lokisson, Norse Demigod of Healing and Snark.
     
  3. Download

    Download Auror ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    When pressed, Dumbledore explains how the blood protection works. There's no glowing shield of magic; it's luck. It's why Harry scraped by dangerous situations time and time again. A bit like Felix, it distorts reality around Harry.

    Might make an interesting snippet. Certainly not a story though.
     
  4. AlexIY

    AlexIY Banned

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    Mischa Mayakovsky is a simple man. He lives in the cold of the Artic never to see anything again, sealed by an incorporate bond and cursed to teach young brats from Ilvermorny in an exclusive Tundra once every four years of their education, because he had an affair with a student.

    But when Harry Potter accidentally smashes through his window and sets off a piece of Magic no one thought possible, accidentally sealing himself to the incorporate bond, it will take the power of two wizards to break the seal.

    And one to stay behind.

    The Mayakovsky character is based on a character from the Novel Series The Magicians. He's a pretty morally ambiguous mentor that would put Harry through an exceedingly difficult trial (even if betraying him) in order to prepare him. I imagine he betrays Harry as they are about to break the incorporate bond, curses him and vanishes, leaving Harry to remain sealed under it and ingeniously get his way out to kill him. Meanwhile, we get the whole angle of Harry being stuck in a tundra, having to deal with all the Magical challenges and creatures that are required for him to survive.
     
  5. Othalan

    Othalan Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    Here's a fun little noir bunny that just rampaged through my brain:


    Years ago, back in me fifth or sixth year, I heard Potter's little mudblood friend whinging about how fate seems to have always had it out for him. Well boo-bloody-hoo for Potter, the prick. He's got money, looks, power, friends, that cute little redhead for a wife... not to mention he's a damn prodigy when it comes to defensive magic. With fate dealing 'em a hand like that, anyone coulda made something of themselves. But me? Nah, I gotta work fer every single shred of good in me life. And what a crap life its been so far, if I really think about it (I usually don't).

    Did a couple of years in Azkaban for the stupid shite I pulled during the battle, along with some of what the Carrows had us doing in seventh year. I got out to find that as far as me old "friends" are concerned, I'm bloody radioactive. Heh, "radioactive". Now there's a reference I never thought I'd understand. But I'd never been much use with a wand, and when you've got a rap sheet like mine, well, sometimes workin' as a muggle is the best you can do. My favorite was probably bouncin' at muggle clubs. I always did like a good fight...

    But then he came callin'. Twelve bloody years without a solitary fuckin' word from the poncy wanker, and Draco Malfoy barges into me flat like he owns it, and has the gall to offer me a job. Seems someone's taken his boy. Someone with the resources to know if he contacts the Aurors or a known Hit-Wizard, and has no qualms about offing the sprog if daddy-dearest doesn't cooperate.

    So Draco came to me for help, just like old times. I almost laughed in his face. I probably should have, but I was broke and the money was good. So now I've just got to figure out who took little Scorpius (and seriously, what kind of cunt saddles 'is spawn with a name like that?), and get him back. Except now I'm thinking I may've bit off more than I can chew. Between a vicious pack of werewolves, a nasty little cult that thinks they can bring the Dark Lord back for a third go of it, a rogue goblin clan, and even the bloody Russian mafia, I've got my work cut out for me.

    It's almost enough to make me tell Draco to shove it and call it quits. But I do like a good fight... Besides, I made a promise to the ponce, and like Da always said, a Goyle keeps his word...
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2020
  6. Download

    Download Auror ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    From the Harry/Tonks age gap thread:

    I spend some time thinking about my sort of shitpost plot bunny:

    Seventeen or eighteen year old Harry does the time travel, but it's mind time travel, not body time travel. He's stuck as an 11yo, but does the smart thing and spills the beans to Dumbledore who runs off to deal with that Voldemort stuff.

    Harry however is stuck at Hogwarts. He's an adult, but only Dumbledore knows he's actually an adult. No other adult will treat him like an adult, and he's going mad with only children for company. Obviously he's got no dating prospects either because that would make him a huge fucking creep. Dumbledore might be able to pull Harry out of Hogwarts, but the political difficulties around the Boy-Who-Lived not going to Hogwarts would be a mess and it's not worth burning that much political favour to do so.

    Something happens and Harry discovers he's a metamorphmagus. Instead of the stock "hurr Dumbledore putting a binding on Harry's magic and never removed it for the evuls!!" it's the far more reasonable idea that his parents did it because they were hiding in a mostly non-magical community and having a kid who can change colours at a thought is kind of a big give-away. On top of this, James and Lily were thinking long term and knew this might be something that could save Harry's life down the line so they didn't tell anyone.

    So Harry now needs some training, cue Tonks. Being a trainee auror with Mad-Eye as a mentor it doesn't take long for her to pick up something is up and Harry - desperate for company his own age - spills the beans. Once Harry can make himself look more like an adult (but still has trouble with not morphing all the time so he still needs lessons) this leads to Harry/Tonks.

    This will cover something most time travel stories don't do: age dysphoria and not being a fucking creep. Most mind time-travel stories either don't have shipping but never address the issue of an adult being stuck surrounded by dipshit 11 year olds (all kids this age are dipshits), have two people (often in a relationship) time travelling and the fact they have company helps deal with being stuck surrounded by kids, it's just memories that time travelled and they're still a dumb kid so no age issues, or straight up pedo sex fantasy.

    So the story would have a mind time traveller struggling to deal with the fact they're physically a kid and all their friends are no longer relatable to them. The years of camaraderie is lost, they're immature, they have different interests etc. In truth, they'll probably never be able to rekindle those friendships.

    Obviously I need to balance the angst and the moping. I know people on AO3 have a fetish for that shit, but I know that DLP does not. Chapter after chapter of moping about is tedious as fuck and I don't know how they stand it.

    Another issue is Sirius. How does he not know about the metamorph thing? I think the fact that Sirius is offering himself as secret-keeper bait should solve it. If Lily and James are onto the idea of Harry being a metamoph as a secret survival tool later in life, they could decide that the risk of it coming out if Sirius is captured is too great. Everyone can break under torture and when you throw in magical coercion there is no chance bar suicide preventing Sirius from spilling that secret. So they never told him, or if Sirius found out, he agree to have the memory wiped.

    I'm a bit worried the block/binding thing is a bit too cliché too, even if I'm avoid the stupid evil Dumbledore shit that usually accompanies it. Also the issue of how it's discovered and why it was never picked up on. Harry spent a lot of time in the Hospital wing so I need a good reason for Pomfrey to not discover it. The "I once used magic to regrow my hair" thing seems too cliché to me so I suspect I'll avoid it as well.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2020
  7. TheWiseTomato

    TheWiseTomato Prestigious Tomato ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    The idea of a binding concealing Harry's super speshul secrit magik from him is a cliche, but changing it up by giving it a good reason for having been done makes it perfectly viable. Bonus points for Luna suspecting it having been done by Albus when she first hears about it (as part of the Rotfang Conspiracy) only to be disappointed when it was Harry's parents.
     
  8. Othalan

    Othalan Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    Oh wow. This just makes me want to see a Post-Hogwarts Luna-centric investigation fic where she delves deep into the ministry's underbelly looking for proof of the Rotfang Conspiracy. For months it's just disappointment after disappointment, with every lead turning out to have a totally rational, reasonable explanation. Until, finally, she uncovers the (completely under-whelming) truth: The Rotfang Conspiracy is real! But it only consists of half a dozen ministry employees (mostly janitors and cafeteria workers) in the employ of a wealthy eccentric pureblood. They are using weak tooth-rotting potions to trick wizards into thinking that tooth-cleaning charms are ineffective, all in order to drum up business for their rich benefactor's magical toothpaste company.

    I can't help but snicker as I picture the adorable look of bemusement on her face when Luna (dressed like a Dick Tracy cosplayer the whole time) finally cracks the case and hears out the Toothpaste company owner's evil monologue, only to be like "That's it? Seriously? Damnit, Hermione's never going to let me hear the end of this one..."

    EDIT: Oh, and bonus points if she publishes the real story, but no one believes it because it's in the Quibbler.
     
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2020
  9. Mordecai

    Mordecai Drunken Scotsman –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    Random thought, not so much the plot for a fic in itself but for an element thereof. An interesting way to expand the size of the magical world would be for the entrance to Diagon Alley to also be the entrance to different pieces of land. Different combinations on the brick wall behind the Cauldron lead to different places. If you wanted to have a much more centralised society, you could have some of the places it leads to be mostly residential. Maybe one combination leads to the Ministry, and another to Hogsmeade. You'd have to increase the size of the wizarding population for it to make sense probably, but it could be a nice wee touch to tie everything together.
     
  10. Othalan

    Othalan Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    Oooh, I like that! That makes the whole "tap your wand on those bricks" thing actually make sense. It's always bugged me (when I bothered to think about it) that there was no real reason in canon for that brick barrier to be there. I mean, if you were able to get into the Leaky Cauldron at all, then you were either a wizard or a muggle relation of a wizard, so the notion of an extra arbitrary hoop to jump through to get to Diagon always seemed totally unnecessary.
     
  11. Mordecai

    Mordecai Drunken Scotsman –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    @Othalan yeah that's exactly where the idea came from - what's the actual point of that barrier.

    Thinking more on the idea its probably only useful if you go with the idea of connecting it to multiple residential areas. That gives a reason for folk to use it rather than floo or apparation. Particularly people who have gone shopping or who have a number of kids with them.
     
  12. Agent

    Agent High Inquisitor DLP Supporter

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    No idea why there aren't more of the below idea (Other than the sparsity and shittines of the PJO fandom).

    Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood decide to go through the Isles of the Blest at the end of their lives.

    They end up being born as Harry, Hermione and Ron. Cue Story.

    Dumbledore could secretly be Chiron undercover (However that manages to fit), the gods could exist but can't as usual interfere.

    Can even have a sequel/alternate version where they're born as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke though Grover's personality doesn't transplant as easily to Naruto.
     
  13. la_topolina

    la_topolina Squib

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    If you write this, I will read it--it sounds brilliant!

    I keep coming up with AU versions of my main WIP (which is a Snape/OC action/adventure/mystery/romance--I make no apologies). The latest version is a Severitus | Severus Adopts Harry where, in order to maintain Harry's Magical protection from Lily, Sev and Petunia have to do a spell together that makes them magical blood siblings. It started out as a one shot, but I know it's only a matter of time before it becomes a series of one shots, and probably a multi-chapter...such is the life of a fic author I guess.
     
  14. ExperiencedGamer

    ExperiencedGamer Fourth Year

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    This thread is truly a threat. :wizard:
     
  15. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

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    I had a dream last night about a Ghostbusters 2/Harry Potter crossover, in which Vigo the Carpathian was a wizard and the painting he's trying to escape from, which is the focus point of GB2, is his horcrux.

    Much like Riddle needed to sap Ginny in CoS, Vigo needs to sap Oscar.

    It was a really vivid dream, in which the HP characters (Harry and crew either post-Hogwarts or fourth/fifth year) are visiting the New York magical world when the ghostbustin' starts up. The movie was released in 1989 so would need to be brought forward a few years.

    I saw the proton packs as tapping into magical currents to trap ghosts, which could be achieved with modified wand spells for Harry and crew. The river of slime from the movie could encompass the entirety of the island of Manhattan and contain an almost Hunger Games-style fight for survival between the magical folk and the Ghostbusters battling to get to the art gallery to destroy the horcrux.

    I probably won't write this, ha, but I didn't hate the idea. ;)
     
  16. darklordmike

    darklordmike Headmaster

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    I would absolutely read this. It should feature the post-Hogwarts crew, so we can all watch Bill Murray's character use vulgar pick-up lines on Hermione while Ron seethes. Imagine the fireworks.

    Edit: Who ya gonna call? Fucking nonjon. If Joe doesn't write it, somebody should kidnap nonjon and force him to write for our amusement again.
     
  17. Joe

    Joe The Reminiscent Exile ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter ⭐⭐⭐

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    I appreciate that @darklordmike. I'm not sure there's a whole story here, or one that will gel with the established magical world. For one, I'd have to allow for a supernatural event happening in NYC that the American magical community didn't just intercede on.

    I think I could still make that work, though. If the city is shut off from the rest of the world and, much like the Ghostbusters films themselves, the citizenry including the muggles/no-maj seem to pretend nothing absurd happened. Indeed, in the Ghostbusters universe everyone seems to accept they were frauds.

    It could work, but Venkman would need to explain why he had 3000mg of Thorazine on hand at a moment's notice.
     
  18. Mordecai

    Mordecai Drunken Scotsman –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    Random idea: Sirius didn't buy the firebolt in PoA. He stole it. Could be an amusing one shot, the story of him casing Quality Quidditch Supplies, and then stealing the broom.
     
  19. Donimo

    Donimo Auror

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    Umbridge confiscates it in OotP and finds out it's stolen property and Harry gets arrested.
     
  20. Mordecai

    Mordecai Drunken Scotsman –§ Prestigious §– DLP Supporter

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    Excellent follow on, yes! Harry ends up expelled and on the run with Sirius, the stolen property gave the Ministry all the ammunition they needed.
     
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